Born in Cold War secrecy and the scene of Soviet space triumph and tragedy, the Baikonur cosmodrome marked its 50th anniversary Thursday, hailed by the presidents of Russia and Kazakhstan as a technological workhorse on the wind-swept steppes of Central Asia.

A Russian rocket blasted off from the steppes of Central Asia at dawn Friday, catapulting three astronauts in a crowded capsule on a two-day journey to the International Space Station. The rising sun turned the capsule's smoky trail shades of pink, purple and orange as the Soyuz-FG rocket lifted off from Russia's base at the Baikonur Cosmodrome with a Russian, American and Italian crew.

Excerpt from report by Russian news agency ITAR-TASS Moscow, 25 November: The launch of Foton and Bion scientific satellites will be moved from Plesetsk to Baykonur cosmodrome. This is linked to the creation of the Angara space missile system at the northern cosmodrome [Plesetsk].

A pivoted catch designed to fall into a notch on a ratchet wheel so as to allow movement in only one direction (e.g. on a windlass or in a clock mechanism), or alternatively to move the wheel in one direction.